Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hi
Everyone! For the next 5-6 weeks I will be really busy writing my
thesis which I have to submit at the beginning of June. And I still
need do a lot of writing & researching. I am usually the kind of
person who leaves everything to the last minute - but I guess that's
not a too good thing to do with one's thesis... Nevertheless - I
still will be trying to post a new compilation every week. Less
writing. Just a tracklist - and the music. Expect some Beatz &
Carrots favourites from last year, a Gnawa & Reggada compilation
I did two years ago, maybe some obscure Cumbia - and a compilation of
Chinese favourites: „Chinese Rock & Pop - Golden Favourites“
as I named it - focusing on some good Chinese Pop, Rock, Indie & Folk
songs...

Today I share a Beatz & Carrots compilation which
includes some of my musical favourites from June 2011:

This Beatz & Carrots #6 compilation should have been posted here like two weeks ago – a nice & fresh selection of musical favourites from the month of March - songs which I have listened to a lot, some brand new – some old and dusted – but nevertheless fresh and exciting. As usual - a colourful, eclectic mix of different styles... We start with a nice wonky dubbed out Hot Coins remix of the gospel disco classic „Stand On The Word“ by the Joubert Singers – probably one of the best and biggest Disco gospel songs ever made. According to Soul Sides and discogs.com: "Stand On The Word" was first ever recorded live in the First Baptist Church in Crown Heights, NYC, in 1982. Soon after the church pressed up a couple of hundred copies for the congregation," upon which, it was discovered by local DJs at places like Garage, The Loft, etc. and ended up getting a promo-release on Next Plateau (on both 12" and 7"). There's some disagreement over who actually remixed the song - there's a bootleg 12" you can find that credits Larry Levan but the actual record nods to Tony Humphries so go figure. Either way, it's just great.“ Track #2 „Burru Saturday“ - is a beautiful dub song - having one foot in the past, and one in the present - from Sly and Robbie's latest production Blackwood Dub. Track #3 is a izziwiseremix of „Hanwil Tanza“ by the great Nubian singer and bandleader Ali Hassam Kuban. Love this remix! Beautiful raw, powerful, funky, fresh... And those vocals. Perfect combination!!! Check out his website for more. Track #7 was another soundcloud find: Buena Vista Social Club's song "Chan Chan" covered by The Mattanoll Brass Band Review and remixed with a bit more of that hard hitting Hip-Hop feel by DJ Yamin. Love the original, but this review and remix is definitely adding its own class to the original without dominating it - both songs forming a close union... And then comes track #08 – which must be one of the most beautiful, sweet, haunting songs I have listened to in a while - a kind of joyful ballad by the Quintette Guinenne – merging older African roots and modern jazz music. Its addictive!!! Track #9 is another joyful song which I think is from Brazil: Watusi - OioGere (Alkalino Rework). Musical Sunshine! Track #11 is „Timewarp“ by Eddy Grant's backing band „The Coach House Rhythm Section“. It's hard to compute this disco not disco monster came out in 1977 (the same year as Kraftwerk's „Trans Europe Express“). The vocal version of this song is called „Nobody's got time“ and you just need to listen to where he takes the instrumental to understand why it was labeled 'Timewarp'. Heavy Heavy Heavy Stuff! Eddy Grant – for having released so many classic tracks – he definitely deserves to get more credit! Huge artist! Track #13 - The Temptations - Papa Was ARolling Stone (b.cause jamming dub edit) gives us a well deserved break. Deep & beautiful Song! What a great idea it is to mash up the Temptations classic with Bob Marley's Jamming! Track #18 takes us to some exotic Pacific Island via Japan: „Haruomi Hosono, Suzuki Shigeru, Tatsuro Yamashita - Passion Flower“. I found this little disco gem on yer darling daily - which must be one of my favourite blogs out there – sharing such a variety of exiting & eclectic music. This is what he had to say about this song: „Aw yeah. Three incomparable instrumentalists, one sparkling disco rhinestone. You might call this elevator music. But it’s the kind you’d hear as you breeze out of the elevator at your Hanalei Bay resort, hiding behind your Ray-Bans, and someone hands you a coconut with a straw in it. Oh yes.“ - couldn't have said it better! If you want to get into more good Japanese music – try „JAPS ONRY 4: WAKARIMASEN“ at Ying Yangs. Track #19 – and we are slowly coming to the end of this months Beatz & Carrots selection – is DJ Theory having some fun with Jimmy Cliff's summertime classic „Sitting in Limbo“. And not only he is having fun and feeling much better! A1 remix!!! Everybody „Feeling Good“ now?! Then we can listen to track #20: What's Good (James Brown – I Feel Good Flip Up), a dope dope dope instrumental by the independent hip hop producer Tall Black Guy from Detroit, Michigan. That's it! Hit the download button and leave a comment if you enjoy the music... DubMe

PS: If you want to know more about the record which I used for the cover of this months Beatz & Carrots compilation – have a look at Beatz & Carrots #4.

And! This compilation fits perfectly on one CD - just click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" when you are going to burn it - and the CD will be exactly 79:43 long...

Though I probably have been listening to Cumbia Rebajada songs earlier - my first real introduction to Cumbia Rebajada was through a mix & post on Dr. Aurathef's great „siebethissen“ blog (which unfortunately disappeared from the web). Cumbia Rebajada - or pitched down „remixes“ of Cumbia songs - is a subgenre of cumbia, a phenomenon that was most likely born in Monterrey/Mexico: „Story tells early low-key/ghetto cumbia gigs in Mexico would use really shitty/dysfunctional turntables, not only slowing down but also fluctuating. This launched a genre somehow and kids in Mexico are just all about rebajadas” (Dr. Aurathef) - another version of this story tells that boomboxes at Monterrey block parties would slowly run out of batteries - leaving people to bailar to sloooooooowed down Cumbia songs - an effect which was very much enjoyed and then replicated by slowing the pitch down on purpose in order to create a psychedelic effect. Which apparently may have also duplicated other psychedelic effects the listeners were experiencing likewise. Cumbia Rebajada is really intense stuff - in some way it's been pre-dating „Cumbia Dub“ - another of Cumbias many flowering sub-genres. I really like the dramatic, intense, dark, lo-fi atmosphere & aesthetics of many Rebajadas - the „swollen“ sound of the accordion and the guacharaca. The “hot potato” effect on the singing - sometimes to such an extend that the lyrics are barely recognizable, becoming a new & different language. A song perfectly matching this description would be track #10 „Unknown - Rebajadas Monterrey Marquillos Colombia“. Deep deep deep stuff for ya listening pleasure! Now hit the download & burn this one on CD, put it into your stereo and enjoy an long & deep 80 minute Rebajada Cumbia ride. Just some of many favourites! Not all tunes are "strictly" Rebajada, but all tunes are kinda reflecting the slow and psychedelic side of Cumbia! DubMe

PS: This compilation fits perfectly on one CD - just click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" when you are going to burn it - and the CD will be exactly 79:59 long...

One of the first selections of music I shared here on the blog was Various - Palmwine Grooves & Disco (2011) - now here is a follow up - which I hope you enjoy as much as I do. Another selection of tropikal grooves and disco: Bunny Mack from Sierra Leone sharing „Discolypso“ (track #7) with the world - mixing Caribbean disco flavours with African grooves - and thus bringing to us sun and happiness in a disco style, Eddie Grant's wonderful & hypnotic Caribbean club track „California Style“ (track #3), a Latin disco version of „Ain't No Stopping Us“ (track #11), Dennis Brown, the crown prince of Reggae, having his first international record deal with A&M Records in 1981 - and delivering us some heavy discofied Reggae with „Get High On Your Love“ (track #5). Want more?! What about some massive dancefloor action from Brazil: „Gupo Arambere - Iaia“ - hypnotic, whirling & lots of percussion (track #5). "Manyaka" from Eko (track #12) - good good good Afro-Disco from Cameroon. Disco & violins! There is something funky about violins! Or „Modern Sound Corporation - Safari“ (track #1) - an Afro Disco tune with lots of Caribbean flavors from Sweden! And let's not forget that even the „great guy Bruce Lee“ (track #1) is joining the Party. - - - Download links are „hidden“ in the comments. Comments?! What about leaving some? What about sharing some of your favourite discofied tropikal grooves to make the next compilation even better? For the time being - hit the download button. And don't forget to play it load! Coz you wanna hear & feel that disco bass...

DubMe

PS: While compiling Various - Palmwine Grooves & Disco a few month ago and trying to find information on the web about all the different artists and songs – I came across the great music blog A Monsieurwilly World - which introduced me to so many more great disco-influenced grooves & joys from around the world! Big big big blog out there! Monsieur Willy – if you should be reading this - my deepest gratitude to you! Great music you share - and bring forward more of those tropikal disco-tingled sounds! I love them!